Plank Road Winter

Book excerpt: Plank Road Winter is a middle-grade historical novel set in rural Wisconsin in the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire and the recent American Civil War, as young Sophie and Hans deal with issues of family, friendship, and the importance of making good choices in difficult times. In October 1871, 13-year-old Sophie Caswell longs to escape the dullness of life in her small farming community. Her grand plan is to find fame far away from Yorkville, Wisconsin. Sophie¿s dreams are thwarted when the Chicago Fire brings chaos to that city, and leads to the arrival of 12-year-old Hans Hoffman and his family at the nearby McEachron farm. While Sophie stubbornly pursues her dreams, Hans struggles to adapt to a world very different from the bustling German neighborhood he once knew. During a memorable winter, Sophie and Hans learn much about life, loss, and the road home, as their families face the challenges of the years following the Civil War. Plank Road Winter is a sequel to Plank Road Summer, which was a story set in Yorkville, Wisconsin, in 1852 when two pioneer girls become involved in the Underground Railroad. Winter takes place a generation later, when those pioneer girls are grown up and married with children of their own.